Over Israel's objection, Egypt allowed hundreds of stranded Palestinian pilgrims en route home from Mecca to return to the Gaza Strip on Wednesday without permitting Israeli authorities to screen them for smuggled cash or weapons.

The decision ended a five-day standoff and drew a sharp protest from Israeli officials.

The pilgrims, who had completed the Muslim hajj ritual in Saudi Arabia, got stuck in Egypt last weekend when the Cairo government said they would have to pass through the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing.

Egypt relented, allowing passage through the Rafah terminal on its border with Gaza,

after pilgrims rioted in border camps set up for them and threatened a hunger strike.

Oops. According to Boudreaux's Oct. 26 report, Israel "still controls Gaza's borders." If Boudreaux's own reporting on Oct. 2 about Egypt's decision to allow 80 Palestinians to cross into Gaza could not convince him otherwise, can this week's Israeli-protested passage of 2,152 pilgrims do the trick?

The proof of the pudding is in the correction. Tell the Readers Representative, Jamie Gold, (readers.rep@latimes.com) that we're still waiting.